PIERRE - A state lawmaker from Brown County is carrying legislation that would affect pre-abortion counseling by abortion providers.
Sen. Al Novstrup, R-Aberdeen, is prime sponsor of SB 110. This is a version of the concept South Dakota Right to Life has been preparing.
The measure was assigned Monday to the Senate State Affairs Committee. The panel hasn't publicly scheduled a hearing date yet.
The legislation specifically refers to Planned Parenthood's facility in Sioux Falls as the only abortion clinic in South Dakota.
One section of the bill says: "The Legislature finds that the physicians, agents, and employees performing or assisting in the performance of abortions and pre-abortion counseling at the Planned Parenthood facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota have been providing pre-abortion counseling that does not comply with the mandatory disclosures required (by state laws)."
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The eight-page bill specifically calls for personnel at the clinic to take various actions regarding pre-abortion counseling.
Twelve Republicans are Senate co-sponsors. Former Rep. Fred Deutsch, R-Florence, is chairman for South Dakota Right to Life.
Noting Neil
The Associated School Boards of South Dakota chose Neil Putnam of Mitchell as the 2017 outstanding member.
Now his honor is in a commemoration from Rep. Tona Rozum, R-Mitchell; Rep. Lance Carson, R-Mitchell, and Sen. Joshua Klumb, R-Mount Vernon.
HCR 1010 notes Putnam has served 17 years on the Mitchell school board and represents "his home state" as a director for the National School Board Association.
In progress
The Senate Education Committee delayed action Tuesday on a proposal from Sen. Art Rusch, R-Vermillion, that would have required public schools to allow "patriotic societies" to make presentations.
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SB 83 referred to title 36 of federal code for a listing of societies. Rusch said he wanted groups such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to be allowed.
Wade Pogany, executive director for the Associated School Boards of South Dakota, testified in favor. Speaking against the measure was Rob Monson, executive director for the School Administrators of South Dakota.
The committee plans to take the bill up Thursday after Rusch has an opportunity to work on it.
No barber board
Sen. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, wants the Legislature to repeal state laws that license barbers.
SB 107 also would eliminate the state Board of Barber examiners.
Among the co-sponsors is Sen. Brock Greenfield, R-Clark. As Senate president pro tem, Greenfield sent the bill to the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee.
Jensen is committee chairman.
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More transparency
Sen. Deb Peters, R-Hartford, is prime sponsor of SB 100 that seeks stronger processes for grant monitoring and reviews.
Peters is co-chairwoman of the Legislature's Government Operations and Audit Committee.
GOAC's lawmakers have been chin-deep in the GEAR UP controversy that sank Mid-Central Educational Cooperative at Platte, killed a family of six, left about $1.4 million of public funding unaccounted and has three people accused of state felony crimes.
Peters' measure was assigned to the Joint Committee on Appropriations. Twenty-four of the 35 senators are on the bill's sponsorship list.
Waiting to lead the bill in the House is Rep. Kyle Schoenfish, R-Scotland. He works for his father's accounting firm that performed many audits for Mid-Central.
Schoenfish declined to testify to GOAC. There was disagreement about which family member the committee invited. Randy Schoenfish, his father, spoke to the panel last year.
Riparian reform
Rep. Herman Otten, R-Lennox, wants to expand the uses of riparian buffer strips along waterways.
Landowners already can get reductions of property taxes for acres accepted into the state's incentive program. Otten wants to broaden the definition so crop seeds are specifically covered.
HB 1119 defines crop seeds to mean "the seeds of grass, forage, cereal, oil, fiber, and other kinds of crop seed commonly recognized within this state as agricultural seed and combinations of such seeds."
The bill is assigned to the House Local Government Committee. Otten is a committee member. The panel's chairwoman is Rep. Kristin Conzet, R-Rapid City.
The lead sponsor in the second chamber is Sen. Jason Frerichs, D-Wilmot.
Gov. Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, started the program last year.
Daugaard vetoed a different version of the program that then-Sen. Jim Peterson, D-Revillo, passed in 2016.
Peterson said last year Daugaard's approach was better, although first-year enrollments were lower than some expected.
Low, low miles
Motorcycles are required to display one license plate in South Dakota. Rep. Larry Zikmund, R-Sioux Falls, wants to make historic-vehicle plates available for motorcycles too.
HB 1117 also would limit the uses for historic vehicles and would set a maximum of 4,000 miles driven per year for any historic vehicle.
The bill was assigned to the House Transportation Committee.
